


The Most Beautiful Person In The World

by Sugar_and_Salt



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Shapeshifting, Whimsical, alternative universe, fairytale, mentions of bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugar_and_Salt/pseuds/Sugar_and_Salt
Summary: A humble, aspiring cobbler sets out to travel on his own for the first time. To his bewilderment, everybody in the town over seems to adore him... even though he has never set foot there before.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Lu Han
Comments: 13
Kudos: 38
Collections: EXO MONSTERFEST 2020





	The Most Beautiful Person In The World

**Author's Note:**

> prompt code: O129

Some days were better than others.

Some days were filled with cloudy skies and rain pattering down on the old, translucent shields protecting their marketplace, but not the small side streets branching off and towards the edge of the town. On those days, hardly anyone bothered to stop by their store, more concerned about their intricate hairstyles and little hats, and less so about the shoes that needed maintaining. There was the occasional, desperate farmer or guardsman requesting for the water-repellant coating on their boots to be renewed, but other than that, these days were quite lonely. Just hours of Junmyeon sitting by the small workbench in the corner of the atelier, polishing and refining parts as the rain pattered against the window above his head.

Those were the good days.

On less fortunate days, the sun would shine and the azure sky would lure people out of their houses, encouraging them to go on a shopping trip. Encouraging his master to send him on errands, which, in turn encouraged the townsfolk to acknowledge him.

Looking back - and Junmyeon often looked back - he simply couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong for him.

Growing up in an orphanage, the adults had taught him to be kind, and Junmyeon had been nothing but an obedient boy, keen on meeting expectations and maybe, just maybe, even exceeding them. He had learnt to listen, to share, and to comfort. Maybe he should have learnt how to do less of that and stand up for himself a little more, because by the time he turned thirteen, mocking him had become the norm. Laughing at scrawny Junmyeon with his wide eyes and bushy brows was simply what people did. It wasn't unusual for him to hear from strangers about all the pathetic things he was supposedly up to. Calling him an eyesore and ridiculing his efforts was something everybody did, and even now, at age 19, Junmyeon kept his head lowered when he left the sanctuary of the atelier. Sure, the disgusted expressions had matured by now, but their intentions hadn't.

Junmyeon was the town's little black sheep, the small, ugly duck that had never turned into a swan.

But it was... alright. That's what he told himself at least. He had found someone to take him in and teach him, despite him not having a lick of magic pulsing in his veins. Master Kim might be somewhat cranky, and he could be moody and demanding, but at the end of the day, he sheltered Junmyeon, kept him fed, and his terrible reputation mattered little to him.

Yes, he had a place to stay, food, and an occupation to learn. So things were alright.

That didn't change the fact that his stomach dropped when his master announced having an errand he needed Junmyeon to see to. His expression quickly changed however, when he was told to deliver a pair of shoes to the neighbouring town down the river.

Growing up, he had hardly ever left the suffocating town he grew up in, and this would be the first time Junmyeon would substitute Master Kim for a fitting. It was obvious that the customer was of little importance to him if he decided to send his scholar, but Junmyeon felt anxiously excited, anyway. He checked his backpack all of three times, and did the same for the three pairs of shoes that he'd wrapped up in cotton before putting them into a box, sealing it, and wrapping strings around it so he could comfortably carry them. It was barely a day's worth of walking and while his master did give him three coins to pay for his stay and other needs, Junmyeon was determined not to waste them on a seat on an expensive carriage.

His journey started around noon, and by the time he left through the city gates, the little box in his hand already had a dent from someone pushing him over. Junmyeon had expected that to happen, however, and in his efforts to keep the box dry, he had ended up in a puddle.

It was humiliating for sure, but at least the shoes were safe, supported by the cotton stuffing. He still checked them once more, just to make sure.

And after that, he could... breathe.

He had yet to hear someone who enjoyed having to do a day's worth of walking, but Junmyeon honestly loved it.

There was nobody who judged his every step, waiting for an opening to push him. There were no faces at all, just vividly green grass and sunlight on his face. It was rejuvenating to the point that he was almost sad to see the town appear on the horizon by the time the sun was setting. Maybe, if Junmyeon was older, he could set out and live in a forest, or right on a meadow, all on his own. It would be just him, and maybe a dog, so he wouldn't get lonely. It was a fantasy he occasionally entertained, even though he didn't have much hope of ever fulfilling it. Though a dog might be within his range of options. With that thought in mind, he squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, clutching the handmade string of the shoe box. It would be alright. He was a stranger in this town. Nobody knew that treating him badly was socially acceptable. Just to be sure, though, Junmyeon pulled his hood up and kept his eyes on the ground, just in case. Slowly, he walked past stalls packing up, in search of an inn.

The town really was smaller, a little dustier and more old-fashioned than Junmyeon was used to, and the way everybody seemed to know each other was making him nervous. He could only pray they didn't mind outsiders too much-

"Oh dear, what happened?"

Junmyeon flinched violently when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The reaction only seemed to add worry to a kind-looking woman, who kept looking him up and down, even going so far as to gently pat down the stained spots where the dirty water had dried in the sunlight.

"Uhm," Junmyeon began, feeling completely lost and almost suspicious over the unprompted display of kindness. "I just- fell. I fell earlier."

Worry turned to sympathy as the sunstones in the streetlamps slowly came to life, releasing all the energy they had gathered during the day and casting a soft, orange glow on the women's aged features and clear eyes.

"Ah, have you been playing with the kids again? They're really wild sometimes."

Junmyeon blinked.

"The kids?" he echoed, when someone else called after him, beckoning him to come over.

Confused, he bowed the woman goodbye and approached yet another stall. Whatever the middle-aged man had sold during the day, he'd already packed it all up and had been busy putting planes of water-resistant fabric over the booth to shelter it from potential rain. Now, though, he was leaning against it with a friendly smile.

"I haven't seen you all day," the man began, reaching into one of his baskets for a little box he offered him. "There you go. For the other day."

"The other day?" Junmyeon asked helplessly, but the other only rolled his eyes in a good natured fashion, heartily patting his back (his grip was so strong that scrawny Junmyeon almost toppled over).

"Quit the acting and just accept it. It's nothing big," he insisted, all but pushing the box against Junmyeon's chest.

Completely at a loss, he fumbled for words to explain, but the man simply ushered him off; obedient as he was, Junmyeon found himself walking away before he knew it. The box was filled with fresh berries that smelled mouth wateringly good, tempting Junmyeon to give them a taste. He didn't, though. After all, he had clearly done nothing to deserve them.

The oddities didn't end there though. Nearly everyone in this town looked his way, and even in the semi-darkness, he could make out the welcoming smiles on their faces as they greeted him or wished him a good night. It was off-putting and stressful to Junmyeon, who was used to having to cower under people's attention, and by the time he was sitting on a freshly made bed at the town's inn, the solitude felt like a blessing.

He was absolutely certain that people were mistaking him for someone else. It was the only explanation for the random kindness and odd familiarity people had treated him with.

Puzzled, Junmyeon curled up under his blanket that night, enveloped by a foreign scent in a foreign town, with memories of kind smiles echoing around his head.

He swore to himself to return the berries the next day.

* * *

After a modest breakfast Junmyeon set out the next day, both the shoes and the berries in the small bag dangling from his hand.

It turned out that the past day had not been an elaborate fantasy concocted by his lonely heart. People were still greeting him, smiling at him. Adults were asking about his day while children suggested he play with them. Junmyeon could only politely insist that he was in a hurry, hoping that people wouldn't catch up on how distraught he felt by all this attention. He should have denied it right away, but whenever he was faced with another friendly expression, his tongue was tied and all he could do was scurry away. He'd have to apologize to whomever they were mistaking him for, but first came his job.

When he found the mansion of the rich lady ordering their shoes, however, he was told the lady was out and wouldn't return before sundawn. With a tense smile, Junmyeon left the shoes with them and promised to return first thing in the morning. Thanks to his reasonable householding, he would easily be able to afford a second night at the inn, though he'd have to cut back even more on his meals. Furthermore, instead of apologizing properly, the residential maid only kept talking to him, seemingly eager to keep the conversation going for no particular reason. It was quite alienating, really, and by the time he was walking back towards the square, he was already exhausted.

The only thing he knew for a certainty was that whoever these people were mistaking him for must be really deserving of love. He had helped people out, was popular with children and a darling to the elderly. And not only that - women were throwing him looks now. Junmyeon seriously doubted they were feeling any true affection towards the mystery person or else they would have noticed the differences straight away. After all, nobody in their right mind would give Junmyeon a closer look and determine him desirable. That was simply out of the question. He decided that whoever this wondrous stranger was, he deserved better.

At some point, he decided to wear his hood to mask himself from the other's warm gaze. It helped him blend in and search for the merchant who had given him the berries earlier.

The square was packed with people though, many of them obviously travelers and fellow merchants. He squeezed himself past baskets and donkeys and carriages, holding the berries close to his chest, when he finally broke free from the masses, blindly stumbling beside a stall.

"Uhm, could you please step back," a young boy began, when Junmyeon tripped over himself and fell into the dust. He could feel a burn on his knee, but the berries were fine-

"Oh, no. Are you alright?"

Junmyeon heard a rustle and then someone was landing in the dirt before him, kneeling down. He was about to politely decline the other's help but the words got stuck in his throat when he looked up and into his own face.

Both he and the stranger froze, eyes widening in shock.

He really did look just like him. A little better-fed, maybe, slightly more groomed, but other than that, they could be identical twins.

Junmyeon knew for a fact that he had no siblings though.

It was then that the voice of a lady called out to them from behind the stall.

"Luhan? What are you doing down there?"

The sound was enough to snap the stranger out of his shell-shocked state, and he flinched back like Junmyeon's gaze had burnt him.

"I'm- I need to leave-" he stammered, eyes not leaving Junmyeon's. Before he could react, the boy named Luhan had turned on his heels and was running.

"Wait!" Junmyeon yelled, tripping over the forgotten box of berries as he attempted to chase after him while harshly tugging the hood down deeper.

The other was fast though, and obviously very familiar with the town. He was darting off with purpose whereas Junmyeon had trouble even keeping him in sight. It had been years since he'd had to run like this, and his legs were burning but he simply had to catch up. He had to know the meaning behind all this.

Alleyways became more and more deserted until the boy rounded a corner and was out of sight. For a moment, Junmyeon panicked, but upon taking the same turn, he was faced with a small, grassy hill, and the boy was still in sight.

He ignored the pain in his chest and ribs and pushed forward, stalking up the grass and calling after him.

"Hey- Wait, please! Please stop running-"

The other only sped up more at that, and promptly tripped himself. With a faint grunt, he hit the ground, giving Junmyeon enough time to finally catch up with him. He managed to put a hand on the other's shoulder before his legs buckled under the exertion and he knelt down next to him, fingers tightly gripping the fabric as he feared the other would start to run again.

For a few seconds, both of them were just huffing and coughing, gasping for breath. Luhan was shirking away from him, keeping his head down and shielding his face with one arm. The moment Junmyeon carefully touched his wrist, the other flinched, clearly expecting a violent reaction.

"I'm sorry-" he whispered, still trying to find his breath. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay," Junmyeon muttered helplessly, wondering for a moment if that was what he had looked like as a child, when people had pushed him into the mud. He'd never been in a position where anyone had been afraid of him and thus, wasn't sure how to react. All he could do was lower both hands to break the touch, voice lowering down in an attempt to sound non-threatening. "I'm not- mad. Okay? I'm not angry. I just- wanted to understand. I'm not going to hurt you or anything-"

Slowly, very slowly, the other lowered his arms, though his gaze remained trained on the grass. He looked miserable. Junmyeon didn't understand. He didn't understand anything anymore, and it all boiled down to one simple question that he dared to ask now, quiet and careful.

"We... look the same. Why do we look the same?"

Luhan shook his head, shoulders drawing up even further.

"We don't look the same," he muttered, sounding every bit as restless as he looked. "I look like you. I- took your face."

Junmyeon blinked.

"You took my face?" he echoed, lips moving before his brain could catch up. "But I still have it."

"I copied it though," Luhan began once more, biting his lips as he trailed off, voice growing weaker by the syllable. "I'm not exactly... human."

He was obviously fearing for the worst, but Junmyeon was too taken aback to react in any other way than baffled silence.

Not human.

Junmyeon had read fairytales, of course. As a child, he had read every book the orphanage had to offer, and while they hadn't been many in number, a decent amount of them featured mythical creatures; beings that harnessed magic in a completely different way from humans. Some of them were often rumored to have been spotted, like the supposedly reclusive merfolk. But a being that copied faces?

Junmyeon had read about those as well, albeit rarely. In his stories, they were usually evil entities, sowing chaos and mistrust among people.

It might be due to him being gullible, but the person sitting across him looked anything but cunning and evil. Not to mention that instead of vile intrigues, he had apparently helped people out. That left one question though.

"But... why me?"

At the lack of anger or even fear, the other looked up, granting Junmyeon a look at what vulnerability looked like on his face. Luhan was searching his eyes for something, flitting back and forth with a tick of insecurity flashing over his expression. When he found no hostility whatsoever, his shoulders sagged a little. He seemed almost dejected.

"That's exactly why," he murmured, further adding to Junmyeon's confusion. "I'm not surprised you forgot but we've met before."

"We have? I would have-"

_ Remembered,  _ Junmyeon internally finished, only to think better of it. Of course the other would not have worn his face back then.

"What did you look like when we met?" he asked carefully. Luhan alluded to a shrug.

"Like myself," he murmured, not meeting his eyes. "When some kids had roughed me up a bit... you and your master have been visiting my old hometown back then and you went out of your way to make sure I was fine. And you were just. Really kind. And handsome."

He couldn't see the baffled way Junmyeon was looking at him, so he continued, sounding guilty still.

"Nobody had treated me in such a manner before and I was feeling selfish, so I borrowed your face and came here, to start a new life."

He trailed off, and finally dared to look up again, regret pooling in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry."

Before he knew it, Junmyeon was grimacing in sympathy. It sounded like the other boy hadn't been welcome in his home either. There was one thing that was still bothering him though.

"But- how did my face help with that? You should have borrowed a really beautiful one, if you can choose. Though I guess the ruse might be uncovered sooner rather than later in that case," he mumbled to himself.

It was Luhan's time to look at him quizzically.

"What do you mean? I just told you; you were the most handsome person I had ever seen. I understand if you're mad that I used your face-"

"What are you talking about?" Junmyeon cut him off, feeling the heat rise to his face - a very familiar emotion in a very unfamiliar context. "I'm ugly. An eyesore. People hate me where I'm from."

Hearing that, Luhan looked scandalized, voice dripping with disbelief.

"What? No. No, that can't be-"

"Sorry," Junmyeon said, feeling a bit like an idiot. Still, somehow he felt like he had tricked the other in that regard-

"Why would anyone tell you that? People love your appearance here," Luhan insisted, guilt momentarily forgotten in favour of an odd amount of vigour. "They find you really handsome, too! I find it impossible to choose suitors for the thanksgiving dance with how many are asking for me to accompany them-"

"Maybe they see past your face and are smitten with your heart instead?" Junmyeon offered - a suggestion that was met with immediate dismissal.

"Don't be silly. People don't like me, they like you."

"But you're the one doing all the good deeds," Junmyeon insisted. Having experienced it first-hand, the connotation that his face alone would be responsible for all the warmth he had received was simply absurd.

"You're adored in this town. By children and adults and the elderly. They wouldn't run out of things to thank me- no, to thank you for."

Luhan stared at him like he was the non-human one.

"This face would never give you an advantage. It's all you and you should hold your head up high," Junmyeon insisted, feeling light all of a sudden. "You know what? You can just keep my face if you think it helps. I'm not mad."

He hesitated a bit but for some reason, he felt perfectly certain that the other would not look down on his honesty, so he continued eventually.

"In fact, seeing that it's possible to succeed despite my appearance is somewhat encouraging? It's making me feel hopeful, actually. So... thank you for that."

Luhan lowered his head at that, letting out a small, strangely wistful chuckle.

Was he laughing at him?

"You're saying all this to your own face, yet you don't listen to yourself at all," he said quietly. "All you're doing is confirming my initial thoughts."

He was smiling when he looked up, small and sincere, and somehow, Junmyeon felt like he could see someone else in it.

"I don't know what happened in your hometown, but neither your appearance nor your heart were responsible for it," Luhan insisted, sounding oddly certain about that.

Flustered (over what? The other's gaze, his words, his smile?), Junmyeon crossed his arms.

"Well, you could apply that to yourself as well, I'm sure," he began, only to trail off into a softer tone. "Would you mind showing me? What you look like, I mean. It is quite odd to talk to my own face like this."

When the other hesitated, clearly about to close himself off again, Junmyeon hurried to add, "only if you don't mind. I'm okay with any face that's not my own, really-"

"No," Luhan said, taking a deep breath, "you're right of course. It's... only fair."

He closed his eyes, calming down his breathing. In silent awe, Junmyeon watched his frame grow just a little, facial features moving, slipping into one another within a few seconds, hair lightening from inky black to a honey blonde. When Luhan opened his eyes, they were of a lighter brown and seemed to sparkle in the afternoon sun.

Whatever Junmyeon had expected, this sure wasn't it. The other was breathtakingly beautiful.

"I-" he stammered, disbelief and confusion battling admiration right on his tongue. "I still can't believe you would voluntarily wear my face."

It was true - the other's figure may be on the dainty side, but his face was ridiculously refined, and if Junmyeon were to meet a stranger looking like he did, he'd take him for foreign royalty in an instant.

Luhan huffed out a smile, and it suited him. It suited him much more than Junmyeon's face had.

"That's kind of you say," he said evenly, and there was a tired undertone to it. "But reality isn't nearly as forgiving as you are. I had a hard time living from day to day the way I looked. I was too scrawny and feminine for their taste. They were spooked by my eyes, too, since they easily betray my true nature. Fellow children despised me. Nobody would give me a chance to prove myself. At some point, I just crumbled under the pressure. I borrowed another's appearance as soon as I was able to and just ran off."

His eyes did look a little too sparkly to be human, Junmyeon had to admit, with how it looked as if small particles of light were dancing in them. It was almost hypnotically captivating. A rational part of him - the one which had faced enough human cruelty to last him a lifetime - could even understand how people might feel wary or scared. But having that fear turn into anger and violence was simply wrong.

"People are just hateful and weak," Junmyeon burst out before he knew it. "And they were probably uncomfortable because you're the most beautiful person they had ever seen in their entire life."

Taken off guard, Luhan could only stare at him in genuine surprise.

Then he snorted, a small, breathy sound forcing itself through a forming grin. It brought a strong of small chuckles with itself, and Luhan self consciously lowering his head once more. Junmyeon thought it was a silly habit to have for someone so handsome, so he leaned in to try and gauge his reaction better.

"What's so funny?" he asked eventually, feeling embarrassment crawl up his neck. "I was just being truthful, you know?"

"We sound like mirror images even now," Luhan said. "It's quite funny, you have to admit."

Seeing him so relaxed was working wonders for Junmyeon as well, who found an unconscious smile on his own face.

"It's a little silly for sure," he admitted.

"So," Luhan began eventually, the smile still dusting his words, "if you insist I can make a life for myself using my own face as well as borrowing yours, doesn't that mean that you, too, could find a place in this world?"

Flustered, Junmyeon could only shrug.

"I mean. I'm not you, so-"

"And I'm not you," Luhan cut him off, firm but gentle nonetheless. "And yet I made it work."

A breeze picked up, rustling through the leaves of a nearby tree.

For a moment, they were both silent, with Junmyeon pondering the other's words.

He had often toyed with the idea of running away ever since he was little. He'd grown out of it at some point, coming to the realization that he wouldn't make it on his own. But maybe, just maybe... he should at least give it a try. Seeing a dazzling persona as Luhan was having so much faith in him gave him a small, almost wild spark of hope that maybe a modest life surrounded by smiles was indeed an option for him.

"You know," Luhan began after a while, leaning back on his hands with his eyes flitting between Junmyeon's and the grass, "I've been growing a little bored of this town recently. It's really nice but I figured trying something new wouldn't hurt. I'm just saying that if you were to take my place here, you very well could."

There was nothing but sincerity in his words, albeit held up by a somewhat shaky foundation. It was subtle, but noticeable nonetheless to Junmyeon, who thought about it.

After a while he shook his head though.

"That's a nice offer but I think I'll have to decline. It wouldn't exactly count as a new beginning and reaping all you sowed would feel very unearned. I think it would be more meaningful if I tried my best as myself."

Luhan nodded, looking only mildly dejected. Junmyeon pretended not to notice it.

"So, are you going to wear your own face, wherever you're headed to?"

Sparkly eyes blinked, and he could see him toy with the grass under his fingers.

"Well. I guess after that speech, I should at least give it a try, shouldn't I?" he asked rather than stated. Junmyeon swallowed, trying to keep the insecurity out of his voice.

"In that case, we could head out together, right?"

Luhan stared at him, prompting Junmyeon to sheepishly rub his neck.

"I mean- If you want to. It seems easier to get by with two people," he rambled. "I may not be as experienced as you, but I did study a lot under my master, so-"

"Yes," Luhan cut him off, urgent in the way he talked and leaned towards him on his hands. "That would be amazing. Please. I mean- if you would want to. Yes."

Junmyeon smiled. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled like that, so wide it almost hurt. The other's enthusiasm was infectious, making him feel strangely light-headed.

"Let's do it," he proposed, and Luhan grinned right back at him.

Just like that, he took Junmyeon's hand and tugged him to his feet.

And just like that, they started walking.

And the more Junmyeon thought about it, the less he would consider it running.

  
  
  
  



End file.
